Signal-lantern for bicycles



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. RHIND. SIGNAL LANTERN FOR BIGYGLBS.

No. 520,658, Patented May 29, 1894.

- WIYTNESSES v INVENTOR fwg 06 M W 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. RHIND.

SIGNAL LANTERN FOR BIGYGLBS.

Patented May 29, 1894.

R O T N E V N WITNESSES m: mmcmu. umoanAPNma eom'mvh:

NITE TATES ATENT Enron.

FRANK RHIND, OF MERIDEN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SIGNAL-LANTERN FOR BICYCLES.

.PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,658, dated May 29, 1894. Application filed June 22,1893. Serial No. 478,435- (No model.)

2'0 all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FRANK RHIND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lanterns for Bicycles, &c.; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its obj ect' to produce a lantern adapted for general use but more especially for use upon bicycles, carriages and boats, and also for railroad use; and with this end in view my invention consists in the novel construction which I will hereinafter describe and then specifically point out in the claims, said construction being such as to adapt the lantern to the use of kerosene oil.

Heretofore it has been impracticable to use kerosene oil in this class of lanterns for the reason that the oil in the reservoir quickly became heated to such an extent as to make explosion possible, and furthermore that when the oil became heated capillary action was so rapid as to make it impossible to regulate the flame and to prevent smoking, the oil running up the wick faster than it could be consumed and running down upon the outer side of the burner and causing the flame to flare up and to smoke. My present lantern is so constructed that the oil in the reservoir remains at practically a uniform temperature, capillary action is not excessive, oil will not run down upon the outer side of the burner, smoking is wholly prevented with reasonable care, and all danger of the lamp taking fire or exploding is avoided.

In my improved lantern the oil reservoir is completely exposed to the air, the burner being above the reservoir and entirely separated therefrom, the wick tube is also exposed to the air and is wholly detached from other parts of the burner, it not being used to attach the burner to the reservoir.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a section on the line so a: in-

Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a section on the line y y in Fig.

2; Fig. 4 a section on the line .2 z in Fig. 3 looking down.

1 denotes the reservoir which is provided with a central opening 2 entirely through it.

3 denotes the burner base which is connected to the reservoir by screws engaging standards t which extend up from the reservoir so as to leave an open space between said base and the reservoir for the passage of air to keep the parts cool.

5 denotes the case which is attached to the base in any suitablemanner as by lugs 6 and a spring latch 7 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Either the side of the burner base or the lower end of the case or both are provided with perforations 8 which furnish the air supply. These perforations in practice are made from the inner side so that a flange of metal is forced out around each perforation on the outer side which prevents suction of air across the burner base.

A denotes the burner which consists of a guard 9 which is simply a plate of metal extending upward from the burner base, a deflector 10 which is secured to or made integral with the guard, and a wick tube ll.

One of the important features of my novel lantern is that the wick tube is placed obliquely to the plane of the lamp, the top of the wick tube being of coursehorizontal that is parallel to the plane of the lamp as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This Wick tube, in practice extends upward and inward from one side of the reservoir and is not connected to any portion of the lantern except the reservoir. This construction permits the central opening through the reservoir through which a current of air passes in use which keeps the oil in the reservoir cool, keeps the burner base cool, and leaves a large portion of the wick tube itself exposed to the air as clearly shown' in Fig.3, thus keeping-the wick tube cool also. This is an important feature as the wick tube in this class of lanterns has heretofore been a source of great danger, preventing the use of light oils as the gas distilled from the oil when heated is highly explosive and in burners of this class as heretofore constructed there is great danger that the flame will run down the wick tube. These difticulties are entirely overcome in my present lantern.

My present construction enables me to place in compact form, a burner, a reservoir so constructed as to keep the oil cool, and a wick tube which, while short enough to prevent charring of the wick is long enough and sufficiently exposed to the air so that it is kept perfectly cool and all danger of the flame passing down into the reservoir is avoided.

12 denotes the wick raiser whose contact with the wick is within the reservoir and the shaft13 of -which extends upward and outward at right angles to the wick tube and of course oblique to the plane of the lamp.

14E denotes the usual filling orifice provided with a cap 15.

16 denotes side lights in the case usually made of red glass. Back of the burner is a parabolic reflector 17, and in front of the burner and of the parabolic reflector is a cone reflector 18. In combination with these reflectors I use an ordinary lens denoted by 19.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In abicycle lantern the combination with a reservoir and a case, of an oblique wlck tube Whose top is horizontal and a wick raiser whose contact with the wick is within the reservoir and whose shaft extends upward and outward at a right angle to the wick tube.

2. The combination with the reservoir having' an opening through it and a burner detached therefrom, of an exposed wick tube which is secured to the reservoir extends upward obliquely from one side thereof and terminates centrally in the burner.

3. The combination with the reservoir having standards extending upward therefrom of a burner whose base is secured to the standards and is provided with perforationsS, and an exposed Wick tube extending obllquely from one side of the reservoir and termlnating centrally in the burner.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK RHIND. Witnesses:

F. B. LAMMIS,

GEO. W. ROBERTS. 

